


No More Trouble Than It's Worth

by sanguinity



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Firefly, Torchwood
Genre: First Meetings, Married Couple, Multi, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-24
Updated: 2011-08-24
Packaged: 2017-10-23 01:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/244572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanguinity/pseuds/sanguinity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even among this crew full of ridiculously beautiful people, Jack Harkness thought that Zoe Washburne stood out from the rest.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No More Trouble Than It's Worth

The _Serenity's_ second was extraordinary. Even among this crew of ridiculously beautiful people — the hired muscle could make Jack turn for another look, and how often did you see that in a group of struggling smugglers? — the woman was a standout. She carried her military training with a sensual grace, and the look in her eyes said she had already taken Jack's measure, and knew exactly what his type was. Something good, Jack hoped. He put out his hand, let his interest show in his eyes. "Hello. I'm Captain Jack Harkness."

She threw a bemused glance to the blonde man standing beside her. He looked unhappy. "Zoe Washburne," she replied, shaking Jack’s hand. Her manner was reserved, devoid of even an unconscious pause to consider Jack's interest. "This is my husband, Wash." Slight emphasis on _husband_ , Jack noted. He was familiar with her reaction: her reserve was the automatic dismissal of a woman who didn’t see any reason to risk disarranging a working marriage for a passing pair of pretty eyes. Jack respected that. Over the centuries, he had had relationships of his own that had been worth not disarranging. Yet despite her cool words, Zoe’s gaze lingered on him just a touch long. Jack smiled to himself: she was not willing to disarrange a relationship, perhaps, but she was willing entertain a few private might-have-beens. Which was something Jack could work with, if they were both willing. It was mostly just a matter of demonstrating that you wouldn’t be any trouble to the relationship. Or leastways, no more trouble than you were worth. The question would be, as always: what would they consider worth the trouble?

The husband was a puzzle. If Jack was flirting above his league with Zoe (which Jack was, he would readily admit), her husband had married far, far above his own. From the man's unhappy look just now, he knew it, too: he was obviously living in uneasy dread of the day that she came to her senses and walked. But while others might see the gap between the two of them as a ready opportunity to attempt to steal Zoe away (as if she would allow herself to be stolen, Jack scoffed), it pushed Jack to look at Wash with new interest. The man had a nice physique under that unfortunate shirt, sure, but on this ship, a nice physique went for a platinum per half dozen. No, the fact that Zoe was standing easily at Wash’s side, graceful in her knowledge of her own worth, advertised that there must be something special about the man, despite his awkwardness. Jack wondered what it was. And how much fun it might be to find out.

Jack let the full intensity of his gaze settle on the husband. Wash’s eyes widened; he cast an uncertain glance toward his wife. Wash obviously wasn’t used to men trying to get into his wife’s pants by way of his own. That suited Jack just fine – propositioning them both would be trickier if they were gunshy from some previous bastard. Jack, of course, considered himself safe from charges of using the one to get to the other: Jack was genuinely interested in what was in Wash’s pants.

Jack turned his smile all the way up, extending his hand to the husband. “Pleased to meet you, Wash." Pleased he was, indeed. "Captain Jack Harkness.” Wash blushed. Jack heard Zoe snicker. Wash's eyes flickered between them both, torn between the proposition in Jack's gaze and whatever his wife might think of it. Jack kept his own eyes steady on the other man: he wanted them to have no doubts about his interest in Wash. Jack felt through their clasped hands the moment the husband came to his decision, even before the goofy grin crept over his face. Bewildered at the attention, but pleased. Potentially game. Jack relaxed. It was a provisional decision, Jack had no doubt — married people semaphore went only so far — but Jack would be on the ship for at least a week. Plenty of time for the two of them to talk. And then, perhaps, the three of them.

Zoe laughed at her husband again, indulgently this time. Jack turned to share a smile with her — her husband was indeed cute when he was flustered — but her knowing smile caught Jack's breath. _I'm not the only player here,_ he belatedly realized. _Oh, poor Wash,_ he thought. _No,_ he corrected himself, _oh, happy Wash._ Leastways, Jack would be doing his very best to make sure of a happy Wash, if he were allowed to get any say in the matter.

Jack grinned every bit as goofily as Wash. He rather thought he might.


End file.
